MaddockKrug said:

The game has fallen out quite a bit from when we used to play it, but for many different reasons than Keeper always wins. I've had one person who refuses to play it because he can never win as Keeper and then doesn't like playing as Investigators either. Another reason is myself and others were expecting to get some fresh gameplay with Forbidden Alchemy, especially the new characters. However, because the game fell through so badly, we haven't really played it for months, exempting a few times here or there.

I assume when FA is finally re-released (and hopefully with some PoDs too), Mansions will be again a must-play. Still, I do hope something is done to give Investigators more strength to pull off wins too, down the road, or the Keeper is given a new rule to lessen his ferocity. I assume maybe that is why FA is taking so long to be re-released as well.

Re-release of FA won't bring anything to fresh your gameplay(if it already didn't), it will only fix the mistakes were made.

It is interesting to see how different the game styles can be (the same discussions also apply to arkham). I typically do not play to win and to tell the truth, I could not care less to win or loose (neither as an investigator nor as a keeper). I enjoy much more the story telling aspect, the ambiance and the unexpected entertaining situations it can bring. This is true in general for all games but become especially evident for games of the arkham series, where I am not entertained by the strategic aspects ; though I totally respect those who enjoy them that way, I meant no offence ^^. In the same line, I usually play rpg without their rules to fully enjoy the "role-playing" aspect without being bothered by boring things that polluate the role-playing spirit.

Anyway, I guess you know about the revised version of MoM by bleached lizzard, but it most likely balance more the game. For those who did not know about it, see there.

warm regards

amikezor said:

Amikezor,

thanks for stepping in and sharing your way of playing :-)

And thanks for the link. I didn't know anything about this revised version. Looks interesting :-)

I definitely agree if the keeper is an aggressive, competitive, I want to win type of person the game is loaded in his favor. As I have been a a 30 year RPG veteran running games wanting to facilitate a story and not win is my objective, I like to play the keeper to really enhance the telling of the story, not just clobber players. The game really gives you the option of playing a I've got to win them against us or a cooperative play like most RPG games. The psychology of I will always win usually leads to loss of players, unless they're a bunch of masochists who joined one sadistic keeper.

and because I use mansions of madness in a campaign each adventure linked to the next with character development and subplots, the investigators losing every time would destroy the campaign. But to make the story exciting the investigators usually complete the case by the skin of their teeth, I like to bring them to the edge of sanity and health, having them desperately flee the mansionusually within an conscious are half crazed investigator thrown over their backs in hopes of saving their very lives but with enough success in solving the mystery to move on to the next case. Sometimes investigators have to spend some time in a sanitarium or a hospital, forcing the player to use a stand-in investigator ( never as powerfull as their player characters) for the next case. As the keeper there are times that you need to sternly deal some chastisement to foolish investigators. but punishing them with losing their life or going completely bonkers, would be shortsighted for any kind of keeper that would want the same players to return to their gaming table again and again.

As with all humanity some people have not evolved past I've got to win at the cost of all others

I like mansions of Madness as it tests the mettle of a good keeper

Julia said:

Hi Julia,

I certainly over-claimed my view but it was worth emphasizing the other way. Anyway, for me the major annoyance of the game is the linearity of the official scenarios. Luckily, there are fan-made ones that break the linearity (I mean clue 1 from room A leads to clue 2 in room B that leads to...). At least four: Incomplete Circle, Artic explorer in english (here) and two in french the Esoteric Order of Dagon and Is The Spirit Here (here).

best

amikezor said:

Love it! Thx! Some variety (chaos! ::laughter: in a linear game is very welcome :-)